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Sunday, May 5, 2013

My Spiritual Sanctuary

I don't go to church or temple, and if you asked me if I practiced a religion I would say I am spiritual and not religious. Some days I would say I was Jew-ish, emphasis on the ish; where I still feel connected to the culture and traditions from my youth but not necessarily the religious aspects. Then comes the question, well do you believe in G-d (typed like that out of respect for my upbringing)? And my response is that what I do believe in is that there is something out there greater than myself but I may define that as Grace, Nature, Love or the Universe depending on the day or the way I am feeling.

Recently more and more I understand why some people regardless of how devoted they may be to their particular religion have found a true need to connect to a religious (spiritual) community. This past Friday we had a community yoga class at Yoga Sanctuary, where I practice yoga and have been spending a significant amount of time these last few months. At this class all of the teachers taught between 5- 10 minutes but their teaching flowed wonderfully from one to the next. Following the practice we potlucked (yes it is a verb now) and connected over food. As I sat in that space I realized that the physical space had actually become a Sanctuary to me. At one point as I looked around I became overwhelmed with emotion. I knew most people that were there, some close friends, some true confidants and some just casual acquaintances but regardless of the relationship we all shared something. This community that I have become part of is one that has become something very significant to me, something that is an integral part of me. On any given day that I walk around town I can almost be guaranteed to see someone from this community and just having that presence is so grounding to me.I believe that the relationship that I have to and with my yoga community is not unlike that of others and their relationship to their religious community. Maybe this is my way of defining and connecting to spirituality. This Sanctuary of mine has allowed me to breathe deeper than ever before, reflect on life and what it means to me and find acceptance and profound connections. I have done this through yoga, meditation and just simply by holding a space in this Sanctuary.

The Poetry of Yoga

I have written a poem that has been published in this book!! The Poetry of Yoga is a ground breaking book anthology expanding the literary tradition of yoga to include the cultural perspective of the 21st century. A modern day collection compiled and edited by artist, poet, and yogi HAWAH, this second volume is distilled from over 1,900 pages of poetry, submitted from 19 countries. Fifty percent of ALL book sales are donated to the non-profit organization, One Common Unity. Their pioneering work brings non-violence through arts & music to inner-city youth.